Tolbert weese



(No Model.) T; WEESB. WIRE STRBTGHER.

No. 492,078. Patented Pb. 21, 1893.

UNTTED STATES PATENT .y OEE-ICE.- 'A

TOLBERT WEESE, OF LARKIN, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO D. S. HENCKS lit SON, SAME PLACE.

wlFiE-STRErcHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 492,078, dated February 21, 1893.

Application tiled September 6, 1892. Serial No.445,181. (No model.) I

To all whom it may' concern:

Be it known that I, TOLBERT Wnnsn, a citizen ot the United States, residing at Larkin, in the county of Jackson and State of Kansas,

have invented a new and useful Wire-Stretcher, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in wire stretchers.

The 'object of the present invention is to ro improve the construction of wire stretchers, and to provide one adapted to be attached to either side of a post to stretch wire across the same, and capable of being connected to the ends of a broken wire to stretch the broken I5 portion to enable the same to be fastened together.

The invention consistsv in the construction.

and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated v zo in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings-Figure l is a perspective view of a wire stretcherconstructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a side view.

z5 Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view illustrating the manner of securing the detachable clamp to the rack-bar.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the draw? by oppositely disposed pawls 3 of a lever 4' which is mounted on the rack bar, and is adapted to carry the pawls alternately into engagement with the ratchet teeth to advance 4o a pivoted clamp 5 on the rack bar. The lever 4 is provided with a longitudinal opening or slot 6 to receive the rack bar and the pawls, and is provided with a mouth or opening7 to vreceive a rib 8 of the rack bar which is strengthened by the said rib. The pivoted clamp 5 consists of an arm pivotally secured to the lever at one end and provided at the opposite end with pivoted earns 9.

The rack bar is provided at its inner end 5o with a hinged clamp 10, and at its outer end with a removable clamp 11, both of `which are provided with pivoted cams l2 and 13. The detachable clamp 1l is provided with a lug 11 which is arranged in an opening l5 ot' the rack bar and is secured to the latter by a 5 5 key 16 which passesth'rough a perforation of the lug. The hinged clamp l0 is bifurcated, and is secured to a reduced portion of the rack bar by a pintle 17. The clampsl at the ends of the rack bar are adapted to be ern- 6o ployed in stretching the broken portions of a' Wire; and when the wire stretcher is attached to a' post the hinged clamp is swung downward to be out of the way. The inner end of the stretcher is provided at each side with a series of perforations 18 adapted to receive an attaching hook 1.9 which is swiveled to a grappling fork 20 and connects the same adjustably with the rack bar. The arms of the grapple are provided with engaging hooks to 7o take into a post at one side thereof. The other side of the post is engaged by an adjustable double cant hook 21 which is providedat each end with a hook, and which is arranged in a transverse opening 22 of the rack bar. The 75 double cant ,hook is adj ustably secured tothe f rack bar by means of 'a series of perforations 23 and a pin 24. j

In the operation ofthe Wire stretcher, when the latter is applied to a post, the .operating 8o'` i lever 4 andthe pivoted clamp carried by the same are advanced toward the outer end of the rack bar, whereby the Wire to be stretched is drawn across a post so as to be stapled without any slack, thereby enabling the Wires of a fence to be stretched much tighter.

It will be lseen that the Wire stretcher is simple and comparatively inexpensive in construction, that it is adapted to be readily attached to any sized post at either side thereof, 9o and that it may be readily employedfor fastening the ends of a broken wire together.

What I claim is- 1. In a Wire stretcher, the colnbination of a rack bar provided at opposite sides with teeth, an operating lever mounted on the rack bar and provided with pawls engaging the teeth,

a clamp carried by the lever, a grapple adjustably connected to the rack bar, and adouble cant hook arranged on the rack bar adjacent roo to the grapple, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a Wire stretcher, the combination of a rack bar having a transverse opening and having a series of perforations on each side, a grappling fork provided with a hook adapted to enga-ge the perforations whereby the grapplin g fork is adjustably connected to the rack bar, a double cant hook provided with a series of perforations, and a pin securing the cant hook in the transverse opening, substantially as described.

3. In a Wire stretcher, the combination of a rack bar provided at opposite sid es with teeth and having at each side a series of perforations and provided with a transverse opening, an operating lever mounted on the rack bar and provided with paw'ls engaging its teeth, a clamp secured to the lever, a hinged clamp secured to the rack bar at the end adjacent to its perforations, a grappling fork provided with a hook adapted to engage the said perforations, a double cant hook arranged in the transverse opening and provided with perforations, and a pin securing the cant hook in its adj ustment., substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

TOLBERT. WrEESE. Witnesses:

P. M. I-IUMPHREY, R. M. SWEANEY. 

